Receptacle for letters and similar papers



June 27', 1950 5, RUDOLPH 2,512,972

RECEPTACLE FOR LETTERS AND SIMILAR PAPERS 30 W ,4 4 2a j r WITNESSES: I 4 f 34 v oR will? 2 ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1950 BECEPTACLE FOR LETTERS AND SIMILAR PAPERS Sidney J. Rudolph, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application August 16, 1946, Serial No. 690,904

11 Claims.

My invention is directed to improvements in letter trays or baskets of the type usually placed on a desk or table for receiving incoming or outgoing mail or other papers. The trays generally are flat and have sides of convenient height to provide a box-like contrivance for holding a stack of ordinary and legal-sized letters, securities, messages and the like in folded and unfolded condition. Such trays are provided for clerks, executives, or other persons as convenient receptacles where incoming papers may remain until the recipient has time to devote to them, or outgoing papers may be deposited until a messenger picks them up for distribution or mailing.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved letter tray of a type described, having elevating means by which papers in the tray can be easily raised for removal.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved letter tray of a type described for keeping the stored papers clean and for preventing observation of the top papers.

It is a more specific object of my invention to provide an improved letter tray of a type described having a cover member for keeping the stored papers clean and unobservable, and having a raisable bottom member by which the papers can be elevated for convenient removal so that the tray can be deeper than usual. In forms of my invention, the cover member moves upward with the bottom member so that incoming papers can be readily slipped between the members, or so that outgoing papers in the tray can be easily removed.

Another advantage of a form of my invention resides in providing an easily-manipulated elevating means for the cover and bottom members of the tray. In one form of my invention, the elevating means raises the cover to a greater extent than the bottom member. In another form of my invention, the cover member is also independently raisable so that letters'can be even more easily slipped into the tray. v

A still further object of my invention is to provide a letter tray of a type described in which the elevating means is completely hidden from View, except for a manipulating lever or handle.

Other objects, features and innovations of my Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the tray, having the front wall partially broken away; 1

V Fig. 5 is a side view of the tray, having the elevating mechanism operated and a near sidewall omitted;

Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of my invention, having a sidewall partially broken away, the elevating means operated, and dash- I dot lines indicating a second position of the elevated cover member; and

Fig. '7 is a side view of a further modification, having a sidewall partially broken away, solid lines showing the position of the parts when the tray is closed, and dash-dot lines showing their position with the elevating means operated.

Referring particularly to the embodiment shown in Figures 1-5, the tray T comprises upright side walls 2 and 4, an upright front Wall 6,

an upright back wall 8 and a horizontal bottom member or wall l0 forming an open-topped rectangular'box-like main structure generally similar to the conventional tray, except for a hole l2 in the bottom wall which will be described in greater detail subsequently. As is customary in the common variety of such trays, the sides 2 and 4 are longer than the front and back walls 6 and 8; and legs [4 may be provided at the corners of the bottom Wall ill for carrying the main structure of the tray slightly above any surface on which the tray is placed. I

In accordance with my invention, the tray T is providedwith a top or' cover member I 6 for keeping the papers inside the tray clean and unobservable. This cover member 16 is hinged to the top of the back wall 8 by a hinge l 8 which preferably, but not necessarily, extends for substantially the full width of the tray for providing a dusttight joint. The'cover member I6 is of a size to rest on the top edges of the upright walls 2, 4 and 6, with narrow-borders of the cover member protruding slightly beyond these walls. A portion of the cover member l6 may extend farther beyond the front wall 6 so asto enable the cover to be manually raised where such manipulation is desirable, as is the case with some embodiments herein described.

In accordance with my invention, the tray is provided with an elevating means for raising the papers in the tray sothat they can be more easily removed. This 'means may have the further function of raising the cover member H5 at the same time. To this end of my invention, the elevating means comprises a paper-raising member in the form of a false bottom wall or bottom member 20 and raisingmechanism or gearing operable fromthe outside of the tray for raising the bottom member 20 and the cover member IS, the raising mechanism or gearing being such as to automatically hold thebottom and cover memfor rotatably carrying the shaft 24.

otherwise secured, to the inside bottom portion 7 of the back wall 8 and it other flap, similarly secured to the back border portion of thebottom member 20. The bottom member 20 substantially fits the rectangular horizontal contour of e r y, but with slight clearance so as that it can pivot on its hinge 22 without-binding; and the length of the hinge22 is only slightly less than the width of the tray so as to minimize the possibility that papers will be caught between the 4 When the bottom member 20 is moved upwardly by movement of the handle 28 clockwise,

or toward the front of the tray, the links 34 on both sides of the tray cause the cover member Hi to pivot on the hinge l8, moving it through about the same angle as the bottom member 20 moves. The slot 40 is only large enough to avoid binding the rod 38 while the associated link 34 bottom member andthe remaining walls of I thetray.. P Theraisi-ng mechanism; or :gearing comprises a shaft-24 rotatablyisecured to the lower part of the tray. As shown, a'pair of spaced journal membore .25 are secured to the bottom side of the outer bottom wall l0 :on each sideof the hole I2, The eentral part of the shaft 24 is ofi'set to, provide a small camming member or -crank 25; and an end of the shaft 24, projecting beyond the side wall 2,,is bent upwardlyto :provide an operating membeer ,in the form of a handle '28 provided with a ill and causing the bottom member 2ll-to turn on its hinge :22 so that its front end is raised, as shown, for examplainFig. '5. To facilitate op-: ,eration, the'crank :26 isin the *form'of-a U-shaped member with its cross-piece provided with a loosely-held roller member 32. Consequently, to accommodate this form of crank, the opening I2 is trapezoidal in shape. 1 y

The angle through which the shaft 24 -.is ro tated inits journals 2.5 is considerably more than the angle through which the bottom member 20 is rotatedabout its hinge .22, and thearrangement provides a itoggleaction which allows thehandle 28 to be released without permittin the bottom member 29 to resume its original position. The angle A, in Fig. 5, between the bottom men'iber 20 and the crank 26, preferably .is slightly. less than a right angle,.=but inan-y event, is such that the crank is about vertical or slightly to the right of a vertical plane which includes the axis in which the shaft '24 turns. Any weight on the bottom member 2!) tends v to rotate the shaft clockwise, but the handle 28 .actsas a stop on whatever surface the .tray' is carried, :although a separate stop obviously oan'be provided. .Consfiquently, .the .bottommembenZll is propped up by the crank 26, its raised position being determined the radial length of the crank, which canbe chosen to suit any particular design, Iprefer to have a single operation of the handle 28 not only raisethe bottom member 20, but also raise the cover member l6. Accordingly: pro vide an interlocking linkage at each side of the tray which operatively interconnects the bottom member 20 and cover member 16. In Fig. 5, this linkage comprises a link '3 having an end pivoted to an upwardly-extending'lug 36 on the bottom .l-arged thereat.

moves. The tray is restored to normal closed position by moving the handle 28 counterclockwise. To facilitate this manipulation, the button '30 is .fastened to the handle so as to be held slightly aboveit while the handle is down, as shown in Fig. 5.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the space between the cover member 16' and bottom member 20 is substantially the same in all positions. However, I contemplate other interlocking mechanisms which permit the cover member to be raised more than the bottom member.

In Fig. 6, the :covermember H5 is provided with .a depending lug 44 which is substantially the height of the tray, and has a slot 46 for receiving a turned-in end 48 of a link 59. While the cover member 16 and bottommember 2B are being raised, the link 50 presses on the top-surface 'The slotmay be somewhat en- The solid lines show'the normal open position .of the cover member It and bottom member .2!) when the handle 23 has been operated. In this normal open position, the cover member it can be further manually raised by grasping it manually. The turned-in end 58 of the link 15!! does .not hinder raising of the of the slot 46.

cover member 16 because the slot :35 is long "enough for the end 48 to ride in. The cover member can be lifted until-the bottom of the slot '46 reaches the end A8 of the link, 50. A weak spring 52 on the bottom member 2!] tends to press the link 50 backwards, and a notch 51% at the bottom of the slot 48 receives the turned-in end 48 so as to latch the cover member H5 in the position shown by the dot-dash lines. The cover member is released by pressing the end 88 out of the notch. Preferably, the spring 52 and notch 54 are provided on one side only of the tray, so that the latching mechanism canrbe released with .one hand. Obviously, however, the latching mechanism can be provided for the interlocks at each side of the tray. v

In the embodiment shown in Fig. '7, the cover member IB-can be independently lifted without movement of the bottom member 20. However, when the latter is raised through operation of the handle 28in amanner as described in Fig. 5, the cover member-is also. raised. In Fig. 7, similar leverages are provided on each side wall .2 and 4 of the tray, between a cover member l6 and a bottom member 20. The leverage comprisesa bell crank having two arms 58 and 60 extending outwardly from a pivot 62 carried by a side wallof the tray; Raising the bottom member turns the arms 58 and 60, the former raising embodiments, it is obvious that'the teachings thereof are subject to'wide modifications which come within the purview of my invention.

- .I claim as myinvention:

,1. A tray of a, type described com-prising wallmeans comprising a plurality of upright wall- :mem-bers arranged in polygonal form, a bottom member movably attached to said wall-means, a manually-operable member, gearing carried by said tray and operable by said manually-operable member for raising said bottom member, a cover member for the tray, and a mechanical connection between the bottom member and the cover member whereby one causes movement of the other, said mechanical connection including a loose interlock allowing the cover member to be raised independently of the bottom member.

2. A tray of a type described comprising upright wall-means including a front wall, a back wall and side walls, a first bottom member rigidly secured together, said first bottom member having a hole therein, a second bottom member inside the tray, means for hinging said second bottom member to said wall-means near said back wall, a shaft rotatably secured to said first bottom member, near and substantially parallel to said front wall, a handle secured to said shaft, said handle being outside said wall-means, said shaft having camming means associated there with passable through said hole for raising said second bottom member.

3. A tray including that of claim 2, but including in further combination, a cover member and an interlocking mechanism between the cover member and the second bottom member for causing movement of one of them to cause movement of the other.

4. An article of manufacture comprising a tray adapted to rest on a surface, said tray comprising a front wall, a back wall and side walls, a bottom member hinged at said back wall, raising means secured to said tray at the front end thereof, said raising means comprising a shaft rotatable about an axis substantially parallel to said front Wall, a cam operable by rotation of said shaft, said cam being in contact engagement with said bottom member for raising and lowering said bottom member, and a handle for turn ing said shaft, said handle being movable to a position contacting said surface when said bottom member is raised, said cam comprising a radial portion on said shaft engaging and holding said bottom member in raised position, and forming an angle with said bottom member such that a component of force, due to the weight of said bottom member, tends to force said handle more firmly against said surface.

5. An article including that defined in claim 4, but further characterized by a cover member for said tray and a mechanical connection between said cover member and said bottom member for causing said cover member to be raised and lowered with said bottom member by operation of said handle, said mechanical connection being loose so as to permit the cover member to be moved independently of said bottom member.

6. The article of claim 5 characterized by said loose mechanical connection comprising a bell crank having armscontacting said members, the arm contacting the cover member being longer than that contacting said bottom member.

7. An article including that defined in claim 4, but further characterized by a cover member for said tray and a mechanical connection between said covermember and said bottom member for causing said cover member to be raised and lowered with said bottom member by operation of said handle, said mechanical connection being loose so as to permit the cover member to be moved independently of said bottom member,

said loose mechanical connection comprising an elongated slotted lug depending from said cover 8. An article of manufacture comprising atray having wall-means including a front wall, a back wall, side walls and a bottom wall securely joined together, a bottom member having a back edge parallel to said back wall, hinge means hinging said back edge to said wall-means, a turnable shaft carried by the front part of said wall-means, an operating arm extending from said shaft, a camming member attached to said shaft and turnable therewith, said camming means being in contact engagement with the underside of said bottom member for raising and lowering said bottom member, said shaft being parallel to said backwall and having an extension outside of a first of said side walls, said operating arm being part of said extension, a cover member hinged to a back part of said wallmeans and resting upon the front part of said wall-means, and a loose mechanical interconnection between said bottom member and cover member for raising said cover member upon raising of said bottom member.

9. An article of manufacture comprising a tray adapted to rest on a surface, said tray comprising wall-means comprising a front wall, a back wall, side walls, and a bottom wall securely joined together, a bottom member substantially fitting the inside of said tray, said bottom member having a back edge at said back wall, hinge means hinging said back edge to said wall-means, a cover member hinged to a back part of said wall-means and resting upon the front part of said wall-means, a turnable shaft carried by the front part of said wall-means substantially parallel to said back edge, said shaft having a camming member in contact engagement with the underside of said bottom member for raising and lowering said bottom member, and a loose mechanical interconnection between said bottom member and said cover member for moving said cover member with said bottom member.

10. An article as defined in claim 9 but characterized by said loose mechanical interconnection comprising a bell crank having a pair of arms extending from a pivot point at a first of said side walls, the ends of said arms being in contact engagement with said cover member and said bottom member.

11. An article as defined in claim 10 but further characterized by said arms being of different lengths.

SIDNEY J. RUDOLPH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 986,075 Menighan Mar. 7, 1911 1,386,717 Luckett et a1 Aug. 9, 1921 1,787,387 Maerz Dec. 30,1930 1,867,738 Fraser July 19, 1932 1,884,030 Maddox Oct. 25, 1932 2,016,009 Johnson et a1 Oct.1, 1935 2,124,071 Loftin July .19, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 319,762 Germany Mar. 30, 1920 456,268 Germany Feb. 18, 1928 

